


Strings

by thehurtyouwant



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Breakup, F/M, First Date, Heartbreak, Hurt, Teenagers, divorced, mac/riley, macgyver/riley, married, relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 03:14:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30116310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehurtyouwant/pseuds/thehurtyouwant
Summary: "Do you think I wanted to leave you? Don't you know I'm done for? Three years apart and I'm right back where I've always been. In the center of your palm. Revolving around you." She looked down at his lips, "Waiting for you to move so I know which way to go...but even though I want you to myself I…"
Relationships: Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)/Original Female Character(s), Riley Davis & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 28





	Strings

Disclaimer: I do not own MacGyver or these characters, just borrowing for free fun.

'Left you but I'm back here on your sofa  
Thought I needed space, I want you closer  
So why do I move with your movement  
Under your strings like a puppet?'

Strings

Her slender fingers typed furiously at the keyboard. The letter keys squeaked under such pressure and were on the verge of popping out. Yet she didn't relent and continued typing away. Her eyes were laser focused on the glowing screen and she didn't seem to notice she was being observed the entire time. But she was, and not just by him. Whenever she moved eyes followed. It was the effect she had on people. She squinted behind her anti blue light glasses and it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

The nervous boy scratched at the back of his head with sweaty palms. He had been slowly approaching her for over an hour and he was still more than six feet away from her. It shouldn't have been that hard. Asking someone out. Then again, she wasn't just someone. Everything about Nova was all in her name. She was out of this world. Smart, headstrong, creative and did he mention smart.

He didn't know why he was risking embarrassment when there was a slim chance of a payout. Guys had been asking her out since freshman year and her answer had always been no. He had even she heard she had turned down one guy in eleven languages. She had garnered the nickname undatable and lived up to it. He knew the odds were not in his favor. She probably didn't even remember his name. They had had one conversation on the bus home from a mathletes competition. He had given her a compliment on the Tears of Her Broken Heart band t shirt and they had gotten to talking about which album was the band's best.

He understood then, the allure about her. Why eyes followed her everywhere she went. Why classes got silent when she walked into them. He spent an hour with her and had completely fallen her. The way her eyes lit up when she was passionate. They were pools of green with flecks of hazel in direct light. The way she seemed to know everything about everything but never in a conceited, know-it-all way.

He'd give an arm to spend another day like that. He'd rather live heartbroken than with regret so he had made up his mind to ask her out. Even though he knew she would say no he pressed. Afterall, Nova MacGyver was completely worth it.

Clay scraped up the last of his courage and crossed the carpeted library floor to where Nova sat still furiously typing away at her laptop. He thought about pulling the chair from across her and striking up small talk but he knew he would chicken out so he remained standing hoping to get her attention. She was so consumed in her laptop screen he stood for almost two minutes before she looked up slowly. Her brilliant eyes were glazed over and red no doubt from staring at the screen for so long.

She didn't speak, waiting for him to declare whatever business had brought him to her during their free period.

"You may not remember me-"

"Sure I do, Clay right?" she said. Trying not to show how excited he was that she remembered his name, he bit back a grin before he said, "before I lose my nerve, would you like to go to the planetarium with me some time?"

He shut his eyes and clenched up bracing himself for the moment she would say no, or laugh. He heard her chuckle and thought the worst but it occurred to him he wouldn't know the context until he opened his eyes. When he did, she was looking at him with a small, amused smile.

"Ok," she said calmly.

His eyes bugged out of his head. Did she just say...

"Really?" he said, assuming he had heard wrong.

She smiled, closed down her laptop and slipped it back into her laptop bag.

"Pick me up Saturday at six." She pushed away from the table and took her leave. He still couldn't believe it, was he in an alternate universe? Or simply dreaming?

He had a date with Nova MacGyver.

Nova hurried through the front door of her dad's home. She was juggling her backpack, laptop bag and overnight bag of necessities she carried between her mom's apartment and her dad's house. Once she kicked the door close she dropped her backpack at the foot of the coat rack and slung the other two bags over her shoulders. After kicking off her boots she hurried to the garage.

"I'm home," she called out to the pair of legs dangling from under the car.

"Hey bug, how was school?"

She shrugged, "boring."

He rolled out from under the car and reached for the old rag he had been using to clean the motor oil and soot from his hands.

"How did I know you were going to say?" he said with a soft smile. She returned the smile as he tussled the jet-black curls atop her head.

"Need some help?" she said, peering over his shoulder to see what he had been working on.

"I'd love some," he said and she beamed, "after you finish your homework." Her smile fell as quickly as it had formed.

"Ughhh, you know I already know the work." she fussed, folding her arms defiantly.

"Don't give me that look." he said, "how about this, you finish your homework tonight and tomorrow we'll go to the junkyard...build anything you want."

She puckered her lips pretending to be deep in thought.

"Can't," she said.

"Oh-Kay, you wanna tell me what's going to have you otherwise preoccupied?"

She shrugged, "nothing crazy. I have a date." She spun on her combat boots and left her father for her bedroom.

Mac stood where she had left him a good five minutes before he properly processed what she had said. He knew the only logical next step would be to call the expert.

"Everything okay?" Riley answered on the second ring.

"She's fine. We're all fine. I just..." he ducked his head outside the garage to make sure she wasn't lurking around any corners.

"Just what?" Riley said, sounding a bit annoyed. It took MacGyver off guard. Their divorce had been more hostile than amicable but they had gotten the co-parenting thing down the last year. Maybe he had just gotten her at a bad time.

He didn't want to rock the boat so he thought about his next words carefully.

"I uh, didn't realize Nova had starting dating. Way to bury the lead." The long pause told him she hadn't know either.

"That makes two of us. I didn't know she was interested in any of the guys at school."

"Same." Mac said.

"She always says they're-"

"Intellectually challenged," Mac finished and they both laughed.

"So she can go right? We're allowing it?" he said.

"Why not, she's sixteen...and a good kid." Riley said.

"Great kid, yeah okay." Mac was hesitant. He preferred when she wasn't into boys. When had it happened? Just last weekend she had been begging him to take her camping or teach her how to use his new drill.

"Was that all?" Riley said.

"Ugh yeah, just wanted to make sure we were on the same page. I don't want to keep you." he said.

"Okay bye-"

Mac cut her off, "should I have the talk with her or something?"

Riley sighed, "One, do you think your daughter with an IQ of 175 doesn't know how babies are made? And two I beat you to it three years ago."

"You're right. Duh. Okay."

"Okay." Riley echoed.

Mac said, "you know maybe you should come by tomorrow."

"To hold her hand or yours?" she teased.

"Are you ready?" Mac heard a male voice say in the background. No wonder she had been so eager to get off the phone. She wasn't alone. Of course, it wasn't a problem. They were divorced after all. She could date whoever she wanted. While she had every right to date, he had every right to fall apart.

"We'll talk tomorrow I guess." she said quickly hanging up.

What was up with the women he loved dropping bombs on him today?

Up in her room Nova was starting her Biology homework. She hated school and everything about it. She hated knowing all the answers, the monotony drove her mad but her parents insisted she not be moved up even though she could have graduated her freshman year. Her grades had been dropping, while her exams scores were exceptional, her coursework grades were almost none existent as she found the assignment a bore.

Her phone rang on her desk and she smiled when she saw her mother was calling.

"What's up Riles," Nova said with a grin.

"I hate it when you call me that."

"I know," Nova laughed. "Dad called you huh?"

"He's a bit freaked out. Think I talked him off the ledge for the while though. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Relax mom, it literally just happened today."

"Wow. Okay. Who is he?"

"Just some guy, Clay. Unlike his peers he's not a complete moron."

"That's all I get?"

"For now, yes." Nova said.

"Where are you two going?"

"The planetarium,"

"You've been a gazillion times with your dad."

"I know, I wanted to humor him."

"You must really like him,"

Nova shrugged even though her mother couldn't see it.

"May I go now? If I finish early, I can go help dad in the garage."

"Can I stop by in the morning? I don't want to interrupt your weekend with your dad."

Nova smiled to herself. She loved that her parents respected her enough to give her some autonomy in her life.

"Sure, you can keep dad from embarrassing me in front of Clay."

"I'll see you tomorrow Novacaine," Riley said.

"I hate it when you call me that," Nova said.

Riley laughed at her own revenge, "I know."

Long after they got off the phone Nova was still smiling. She didn't get it. Her mom was awesome. Her dad was awesome. Why couldn't they make it work. She had never really known what was the reason for divorce. They fought like crazy in the end but she never knew what the fighting was really about. Her mom had been the one to call it quits. And if she didn't know the type of person her mom was, she could easily hate her for it.

Her dad had been quiet all night. Nova noticed when he hadn't taught her anything new in almost an hour. They had finished in the garage twenty minutes prior. After grabbing showers, they ordered pizza, a tidbit she was supposed to omit if questioned by her mom. He was sad she knew that much. She just didn't think her dating would have such an adverse effect on him. She sat next to him on the couch with the television watching her more intently than she was watching it. She didn't know how to approach the topic, or even if she should. She decided against it after a quick inner debate. It would be too awkward and she didn't have her mom there to broker peace. Her mom was the only one who could make him see reason. The only person she'd ever see him listen to. Another reason why the divorce had come out of left field for her. Fighting aside, she thought they were happy. She didn't understand what had happened.

The doorbell sounded and stopped her from falling into that rabbit hole.

"I got it," Nova said grabbing the money from the coffee table. Leaving Mac on the couch with his thoughts. He needed a stiff drink, he could feel a headache coming on from all the overthinking. He couldn't stop thinking about the male voice he heard with Riley. This was the first time he had heard of her dating since the divorce three years ago. He hadn't dreamed of moving on himself. Nor did he think he ever would. If they weren't Riley what would be the point?

"Let's eat," Nova called from behind him. She went to fetch plates from the kitchen. Even though he had not been able to hold on to Riley, he would never make the same mistake with Nova. It's the only reason he still felt close to Riley. Nova was her splitting image. And since Nova's existence meant that he and Riley would never really be out of each other's lives meant that there was always still a chance.

Saturday afternoon, Riley had to psyche herself up to enter the house that was once her marital home. She had not stepped foot inside in three years. She had always dropped Nova off at the driveway and watched from the car until Mac waved her off from the door.

Time should have healed all wounds but maybe she needed more time. Flashes of heated arguments and a lot of crying came back to her as she parked in the driveway. She did a deep breathing exercise Bozer had taught her and then gathered herself. She grabbed the two coat bags from the backseat and locked the car behind her.

She even considered whether or not she needed to knock. It felt oddly formal to knock after living there for so many years. Mac swung the door open before she could decide which was more appropriate.

"Hey how is she?" Riley said.

"Umm, better you see for yourself. I've never seen her like this."

Riley chuckled. These were the moments she found so important for Nova. Normal stuff like first date jitters. She knew her daughter was destined for great things but she didn't want her to be forced to sacrifice a normal life to achieve those great things. It's why she had convinced Mac not to disclose Nova's exceptional IQ to anyone.

She followed Mac down the hall and up the stairs to Nova's room.

"Hey NovaScotia, I'm coming in," Riley said as she let herself into the room.

Nova rolled her eyes at yet another nickname. But she had other things to fret about Riley realized. Half her hair was frizzy, the other half had been partially straightened. She also had smudged lip gloss on her cheek and only one shoe on. Nova looked frantic. Her room was trashed and clothes were strewn everywhere.

"I don't actually know what I'm doing." Nova said. It was one of the few times her Brainiac had admitted to not knowing something. She might have looked like Riley but she was so much like her father in that sense. They hated asking for help and would exhaust every opportunity before they did.

Riley looked at Mac in the doorway and smiled at him. "I've got this," His eyes moved between them before he nodded and closed the door behind them.

Left alone with her daughter, Riley laid out the outfits she had bought for her on the bed. One was a black shift dress with polka dot tights and the other was a denim skirt and a white peasant blouse. Nova ran her fingers over each garment but Riley saw how her eyes lit up more on the black shift dress with trumpet sleeves.

"I think this is more me,"

"I thought so. Let's do your hair first." Riley said.

Riley sat her down in front of the vanity and unloaded hair products from her bag.

She took her time detangling knots and redefining her curls where they had frizzed out or been straightened. When she was done, she pinned some of the curls up in a half up and half down style. She then pulled out two curly tendrils to frame the front of her face.

"What do you think?"

Nova didn't say anything she just smiled at her reflection and that was enough for Riley.

Riley kissed her forehead, "you look perfect SuperNova."

Riley knew she was happy because she hadn't even protested the nickname.

"Finish getting dressed," Riley said, "I'll be downstairs."

"Mom," Nova said quietly before Riley could leave.

"Mmm?"

"I don't get nervous, like ever," Nova said, "But today I…" Nova couldn't finish her sentence. Riley was giddy. She had always felt like she was raising a young adult. This was the first time she could see the teenager in Nova.

"You feel anxious but good anxious and a little nervous. You're wondering if he's feeling the exact same way?'

Nova laughed full of relief, "exactly,"

"Congratulation," Riley squeezed her shoulders lovingly, "I think that makes you a regular teenager."

Nova rolled her eyes and waved her mother off.

Downstairs Riley found Mac pretending to be busy in the garage.

"Hey," he smiled when he saw her. His smile still made her insides lurch.

"Hey," she said, leaning against the garage door. "First date, how is daddy doing?"

"I can't improvise my way outta this one Riles." Mac said.

Every time he called her Riles she got flashbacks of being in his arms. The quiet way he would say her name while playing with her hair. It was all too familiar. She wanted to turn around and high tail it out of the house.

Instead, she shook her head and said, "not this time."

"I just don't know when it happened." he said.

"You think it would have been easier if you saw it coming?"

He shook his head after he thought about it. "That would have just prolonged the torture huh."

"Probably."

"She's my little girl Riles." he said and it just made her want to embrace him but she couldn't. Not anymore. She stood rigid in the doorway and said, "I know she is. That isn't going to change because she's dating. Plus, Clay is a nice boy."

Mac frown, as she pulled out her phone and showed him the screen with all the research, she had found on him.

"You hacked the school's servers?" Mac whispered.

Riley flashed him an incredulous look. Like he had to ask. She wasn't about to let Nova go out with just anyone.

"The school has three Claytons…but I ruled out C+ plus Clayton and lacrosse star Clayton." Riley said. Mac broke out into a grin, a sexy one at that.

"Who did that leave us with?"

She handed him the phone. "Clayton Jefferies. President of the science club and vice president of the robotics club. He grew up two streets away from the school. He has a 4.0 average and still has time to volunteer at an animal shelter every other weekend."

She saw him visibly relax. The picture of the teenage boy holding a kitten was probably what won him over. He leaned against a shelf of tools. In a grey shirt and blue jeans. It was easy to remember why she loved him in that moment. He was just a sincere guy with a big heart. The problem had never been about chemistry, attraction or even money. When it came down to it. She had needed Angus MacGyver but the rest of the world had needed him more.

Shaking herself out of reverie before she spiraled too far, she folded her arms and casted her eyes away from him.

Riley didn't know what do with herself. She didn't feel at home there anymore. She would see Nova off on her date and then take off. The longer she stayed in that house the more she wanted to stay.

The door bell sounded a moment later. Riley smiled at Mac and said, "be nice, I'm gonna get Nova,"

Mac went to get the door unsure of what was waiting on the next side. When he opened the door a young man with thick black glasses and curly blonde hair was standing with a single sunflower in his hand. He looked harmless but didn't they all?

"You must be Clayton."

"Yes sir," the boy said.

"Come on in, she should be down in a few." Mac said. He stepped aside for the teenager to enter his home.

He did appreciate that the boy looked scared. And he hadn't even done anything.

"I hear you're on mathletes," Mac did not hear it anywhere he had seen it from Riley's research.

"Yes sir, and president of the science club."

"Oh really. Impressive. Back in the day science club was-"

Riley and Nova came down stairs, looking like twin siblings rather than mother and daughter. And judging from the strained look Nova was pointing at him, he knew he shouldn't go down memory lane with his daughter's date.

"Have fun," he said instead.

When the teenagers left it took Riley five seconds to grab her bag. "I should get going,"

"Do you have to?" he said before he knew what he was saying.

Riley slowed her movements, "I guess I don't have to. Not right away at least."

He softened when she dropped her bag. Since the divorce, it had seemed like she was always in a hurry to get away from him. He wouldn't let her runaway tonight.

"I'll pour some wine to help with the anxiety." Mac said.

Riley chuckled, "she'll be fine." She kicked off her flats and sat on the couch. Mac returned a few moments later with two glasses of wine. She took the glass with a smile and immediately took a sip.

She had not been alone with Mac in so long. It felt like she was the one on the first date. He sank down on the couch next to her and placed his wine glass on the coffee table. Being so near to him clouded her brain, she forgot why they called it quits in the first place.

"Do you remember our first date?" he said. It was dangerous territory to go down that road. She guessed Nova's date had brought up memories for him. While she usually tried to forget about what they had, she didn't see the harm in revisiting them tonight.

"What, eating Chinese takeout on the deck?"

He threw his head back laughing, "that was not our first date,"

"No? Skee ball and pizza? Mac," He continued laughing at the mix up.

"I thought it was very romantic," he said.

"Yeah, you would." she teased.

He sobered, "Okay, I admit I wasn't the most romantic guy. I can see that now."

Riley didn't respond right away then said, "I didn't want you for your romantic gestures."

She was watching the glass of red wine and not him, too afraid of what she might see.

"What was it then?"

She shrugged, "just because you're you,"

"Your parents seem nice," Clay said as he and Nova entered the lobby of the planetarium.

"They're alright," she said. She was well-versed on a plethora of subjects but she felt like she forgot everything she ever knew. She didn't understand it. All she could do was twirl the flower he had given her and look down at her hands.

Was she bad at dating? It had taken her sixteen years but she finally found something ,besides combing her hair, she was bad at.

"You look really nice Nova, I still don't know why you said yes to me." he said.

She wanted to tell him that he was smart Clay. And nice. That any girl in her right mind would say yes. But nothing came out. Instead she just smiled at him. She knew it wasn't the right thing to do from the way his mouth clenched. She was ready to be seated and watch the show so had an excuse to be quiet. They entered the dark room and took seats neat the middle of the theatre.

"Jack's advice was to and I quote threaten the little bastard."

Riley laughed, "leave it to Jack to overreact. They're just kids."

"You know how protective he is of Goddaughter," Mac said, "besides, he was way harder on me when we got married,"

"Did he really threaten you?"

Mac nodded. Somberly, he said, "only thing that saved me was the fact that you were the one who left."

His words cut into her like a steak knife, "and you didn't try and stop me." That wasn't fair. She knew that. She just wanted to hurt him like he had hurt her in that moment.

"I didn't know you wanted me to. You wouldn't see me and I still don't know what I did wrong."

"I told you," she ground out, "the world needs you more than we did."

"What does that even mean Riley? Was I working too much? I tried to take as much time off as possible." Mac fired back.

Riley had retired from field work the day she found out she was pregnant. After her maternity leave was up, she couldn't see herself going back to work at the Phoenix. Anxiety crippled her every time she thought about Nova being mixed up in the dangerous situations they always seemed to find themselves in.

She now designed firewalls for companies.

Mac had tried to follow in her footsteps, stepping back as much as he could. And it worked, he was home as often as he could. But Riley knew what the consequences of his time off looked like. Matty had not told him but she still had access to the Phoenix servers and there had been causalities on missions Mac had turned down to stay at home with them.

She could not sleep or eat or even function knowing what her selfish needs was doing to innocent people.

So instead of telling him, she had filed for a divorce knowing he would delve back into work to cope. She knew if she told him the real reason guilt would consume him. He already carried the world on his shoulders, she didn't want to add to that.

But now she felt like she was staring down the barrel of a gun. Either she told the truth or she would die.

"Please, tell me." He came and knelt in front of her.

"Tell me what I did wrong and I'll fix it." He didn't know that he was pleading with her to break his heart. It broke her own heart to know that whether she told him or not he was still going to end up hurt.

"The things I know Mac…I know what happens when you're not out there saving lives." she said finally. It felt like she had released a dam of emotions she had been harboring since the divorce. His face had hardened and she could tell he knew what she was going to say.

"People die,"

The show had ended and Nova and Clay filed out of the theatre with the others. Nova felt less nervous. All it took was some stars. She couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

"What's so funny?" Clay asked. She cringed, not realizing she had laughed out loud.

"Umm, nothing. I laugh when I'm having fun." she said.

It was his turn to laugh now. Now wasn't sure if she had come off charming or like a complete weirdo.

"Wanna go get some food?" Clay said.

She nodded, she needed the time to redeem herself. Now that nerves had settled, she felt like she would be able to string words together to form sentences.

At a diner a block away from the planetarium, the two teenagers sat on opposite sides of the booth.

"I heard a rumor that you were graduating early."

"My teachers wanted me to but my mom convinced my dad not to. She wants me to have a normal life you know."

"Normal?"

"I can't really explain it but I don't come from a normal family. I guess she just wanted something different for me."

Nova had figured out her parents' occupation on her thirteenth birthday. It was the first she had hacked a secured network. Her mom had caught her mid-hack though. After praising her prowess and telling she had a lot to learn about hacking, her mom had sat her down and told her the real her dad had missed her birthday party.

Clay smiled, "then I guess I'm lucky because if you had graduated, we wouldn't be here right now." He reached for her hand over the table and clasped it. Nova really didn't know what it meant but she liked it and she didn't want him to move his hand.

"What?" Mac said, frozen in place.

Riley was on the verge of tears, "Matty kept it from you but I saw it…the causalities. I was selfish in for wanting you. I should have kept my feelings to myself."

Riley's admission through Mac for a loop. He never imagined she had been living with all that for so long. Second to her feelings was his own guilt. It choked him up. He didn't know if he should continue fighting for her now that he knew why she had run away from him all those years ago.

"The world needs you Mac," Riley whispered, a single tear rolled down her cheek. He wiped at it before it rolled off her cheek.

"But I need you," he said, unsure of what it meant. He knew one thing, Riley made him better. He didn't ask for anything in return for putting his life at his risk almost daily for others. But in that moment, he was pleading with the universe or with God if he was listening, he just wanted his family back.

"Do you think I wanted to leave you? Don't you know I'm done for? Three years apart and I'm right back where I've always been. In the center of your palm. Revolving around you." She looked down at his lips, "Waiting for you to move so I know which way to go...but even though I want you to myself I…" Mac propped himself up further on his knees and hovered right in front of her face. Riley was having a hard time keeping her resolve. He made her shiver with his nearness and now she couldn't remember what she was saying. That kind of magnetism she knew she would never have with anyone else. He bent his head and she felt the pressure of his lips on her burning mouth.

"You were really named after an exploding star?" Clay said.

Nova nodded her, "my dad's a gigantic nerd and my mom… I think that's what she loves about him. She could sit and listen them ramble on for hours. She let him name me."

"Sounds nice. I think my parents were arguing while I was coming out the womb." Clay said.

"I'm sorry." she said.

He shrugged. "Cheers to surviving divorce,"

They knocked soda cans together and sipped in unison.

"Why haven't you dated? Before me? You can be with any guy you want?" Clay said.

Nova frowned, "I guess I've never seen the point." she said.

"Guys who ask me out I think they're more in it for the challenge more than anything else. You could ask them one thing they liked about me and they wouldn't be able to give you an answer."

Clay was listening intently, like she was reciting the gospel. He never took his eyes off of her.

"I can tell you plenty I like about you but we'd be here a while." he said.

She laughed. "And then there's you Clay. You get me."

Mac felt like he was a having an out of body experience. Like some different, brazen version of him had leaned over and kissed her. A tentative brush of lips had ignited the spark they knew so well.

He pulled her closer and soon they were up to old tricks being consumed by one another. She tasted so fucking good to him he couldn't stop lest he combust from needing her too bad. His lips parted slightly over hers and she sighed into his mouth.

He felt the exact moment all hesitation left her body and she became clay in his palm. The kiss became firmer as his muscle memory took over, doing all the things she liked. One of his hands moved to the nape of her neck and kept her firm in his grasp. Warmth spread throughout his body, beginning in his chest. Desire swept over every inch of him and he suddenly had to have her. His hands moved to her shoulders and began working the flannel shirt off her shoulder to grasp at bare skin.

His mouth on her parted lips was hard, passionate and unyielding. He was craving her with an intensity he didn't have the strength to reign in. His hands slid down her back and under her tank top to explore more warm skin.

Riley didn't realize how well she had remembered the feel of him. It felt all too familiar, the feel of his velvet lips against hers, the outlines of his muscles and the inebriating effect it all had on her. He kissed her repeatedly, leaving no part of her mouth untouched. She worked his own t-shirt up and off his arms and flung it somewhere behind them when she got it off. He welded his lips back onto hers leaving her blind trying to unbuckle his pants. The drumming of her heartbeat, or maybe it was his heartbeat, egged her own and made her ministrations frantic and clumsy. Her fingers tripped over themselves but she finally got the belt off and popped the button that held his jeans.

He couldn't bear to tear his lips away from her or loosen the death grip he had around waist. He was afraid the moment would be over and he would never get another chance like this.

He finally tore his lips away from her mouth only to growl into her ear and nibble on her earlobe. It seemed he remembered how to set her body aflame as well.

"I need you Riles," he said into her ear. His voice was raw and hoarse and dripping with need. He lifted her off the couch and gripped her ass through her jeans pushing their bodies impossibly closer. She followed his lead as he pulled her up off the couch and they stumbled their way through the house. Mac's intention was to get to the bedroom but the moment her back met the wall he was content. He got to his knees and pulled her jeans down to her ankles. She was looking down at him. From that angle she looked like sex itself and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside her.

It took almost supernatural restraint for him not to neglect foreplay and take her immediately. Instead he allowed his hands to roam her body and skirt over the sensitive skin between her thighs. she moaned approvingly at the work his hands were doing. She scratched the back of his neck urging him on, he listened intently began trailing wet kisses on the inside of her thighs. She began squirming under his attention and he was just getting started. He looped his fingers through the straps of her black lace panties and pulled them down with one yank.

She felt like his and only his through his possessive grip. He couldn't know how much that turned her on. She felt his warm tongue between her wet folds and cried out. It had been too long since she had been touched and kissed like that. It meant everything that it was with Mac she was rediscovering her pleasure. She moaned louder and ground down against his mouth unconsciously. His tongue was working overtime moving in and out then back and forth of her folds. It was driving her crazy, her head fell back and her mouth hung open as she began building to her peak. He looked her deeply in the eyes as his two fingers parted her warm folds and sunk into her.

She bit her lip hard to keep from crying. Mac's fingers moved inside of her at a sluggish pace drawing out her pleasure. He buried his fingers to the hilt only to pull out and drive them in again. He got to his feet so they were eye to eye she he continued with a relentless rhythm. She was almost dripping when he removed his fingers and replaced it with the tip of his shaft.

She gasped loudly to the point where he thought he had hurt her but she spread her legs and took him deeper. It took her a moment longer to adjust to his girth then she kissed him her go ahead. He pulled out and slammed into her swallowing her moan with a rough kiss before repeating himself. Every thrust took her closer until she was meeting him thrust for thrust. She was screaming like she had lost her mind when he tightened the grip around his waist. She didn't think she could take him any deeper but was proven wrong. With every thrust she sunk her nails deeper into his back. She felt like they were shaking the entire house as he slammed into her again and again. She could be sure but she thought she heart picture frames falling to the ground that were once hung neatly on the wall.

Mac loved to see her. Head tilted back, eyes rolling to the back of her head and mouth hung open spewing incoherent variations of his name. He quickened his pace when he felt his own climax nearing. Insisting that they come together he squeezed her bundle of nerves to help her over the edge. One strong thrust had them spiraling into climaxes that made waves through their bodies. Mac attempted to pull out but she clamped her legs around his waist and kept him in place inside of her. Her eyes were so dark with desire he thought he might come again. He kissed her lips languidly as he emptied his seed into her. Riley struggled to catch her own breath when he set her back down on the ground. She finally released her nails from his back.

On shaky legs she stood in front of him. They made eye contact and she felt like falling to the ground in a ball of tears.

What had they done?

She rushed away to pick up the trail of clothes they had left from the couch. Mac was still panting and hadn't said a word. It was up to her fix this mess.

"This was a mistake," she said pulling on her shirt, missing buttons completely.

"Wait, Riles, what?"

She wiped at her cheeks then tried smoothing out her tussled hair.

"We were drunk okay. It was an accident." She grasped her bag and all but ran out the house.

Mac stood in he living room, butt naked staring at the two full glasses of red wine on the coffee table.

"She says he's the most selfless person she's ever met. It's funny how the thing that draws you to a person is the same thing that might drive you away from them." Nova said. She looked down at the scraps of burrito and realized she had spent the whole time talking about her parents.

"Is it weird that we spent our entire date talking about divorce?" she said. They had been swapping stories all evening. Nova realized she had it easier than most when it came to divorce. Although things weren't ideal, she was still better off.

"No, it's not. Nova I wanna hear about all the things that go on in your head."

She blushed. Clay was easy to talk to. She finally understood the appeal of dating and why her peers were so invested in it.

"But we don't have the time. I also want to stay on your dad's good side. I should get you home."

She knew he was right but a small part of her wanted to stay there with him. He stood up from the booth and outstretched his hand for her to take.

When she floated through the front door, still on a serotonin high from her date, she immediately knew something was wrong.

"Hey, CassaNova. How was your date?"

Her dad was sweeping up shards of glass from a broken picture frame looking like a depressed puppy.

Had her parents fought? Guilt consumed her, it was her stupid date that had brought them back under the same roof.

She ignored her dad's question as she moved further into the house.

"Did something happen?" Nova said, feeling very emotional all of a sudden. Perhaps she was catching whatever her father was feeling.

"Just an accident," he said. He was trying his best to keep his tone light and easy but it didn't match the look in his eyes. His eyes were sunken and hollow. It scared her.

"Mom left? Something happened." Nova pressed, "it's my fault." She felt warm tears prick at her eyes and couldn't stop them from flowing. Her dad ran up to her and enveloped her in a hug.

"It's not." he said, stroking her head. "Everything is going to be okay. This time I'm not going to let her get away."

A/N: So this was three different concepts that I couldn't make work on their own so I decided to combine them and see if it worked so let me know if I pulled it off. I wanted a satisfying ending incase I decide it's fine as a stand alone but I also wanted to leave it open for the possibility that I want to revisit it. Ooo also go listen to Strings by Iyla which partially inspired this fic.


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